Happy Halloween Christmas!

My daughter is going as an Elf for Halloween and some of her friends suggested that she should use a big stocking as her Halloween bag. She thought that was a great idea so we went out on Friday afternoon to a Dollar Store to find a stocking. It did not have any huge ones, so she decided to make one herself. We picked up a tablecloth, a neck warmer, and some ribbon from the store, and she had some Christmas buttons at home. When we got home, she made her own stocking template and sewed it all together that night. It looks fabulous. I am trying to convince her to make me one now. Her Dad has told her that she can't use it as her Christmas stocking because it is so big. I think I will find her a gift that can fit in it.

Linking to Let's Bee Social

Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop

Finish It Up Friday

Stockings - Friday Night Sew In

Friday Night Sew In was my daughter's. She made a mini stocking for her and her friend's miniature Christmas tree and I got to be the sous-sewer. I helped her cut them out and she did the rest. She made the template, picked the fabrics, chose the embellishments and sewed them together. I was so impressed how it was such an easy thing for her to do. I am trying to convince her to make me one. I think we have skipped Halloween and moved right on to Christmas.

Anniversary Stars

I went on a quilting retreat this weekend and was able to get all of my star blocks done. I am going to be starting now on the sashing. When I got to the retreat the organizer had goody bags for everyone and I got to choose which fabric I wanted. One of the bags had beautiful deep red fabrics perfect for this quilt so I chose that one and used the fabrics in some of the squares. It felt like serendipity.


Linking to Let's Bee Social.

Tic Tac Kiss - Blogger's Quilt Festival

My Tic Tac Kiss quilt is finished. My sister asked me to make it for a friend as a baby shower gift. She attend the baby shower today and let me know that the quilt was very much appreciated and her friend said that it would be an heirloom. I have had this pattern by Canuck Quilter for a while and had not had a chance to make it for someone, so I was happy to get to make it. My daughter helped with fabric selection and I used some fabrics from her stash. I made the heart using Cluck Cluck Sew's tutorial. I had the quilter quilt hearts all over. This was a quick quilt to make, directions were easy to follow and I will definitely use the pattern again. The size is 38 X 47. It was nice to make a quilt that I did not need the backing to be pieced.

It is wonderful to be a part of Amy's Creative Side Blogger's Quilt Festival. There are so many beautiful quilts.

Nancy Drew

I pulled out my Nancy Drew quilt last week and tried to figure out where I was with the quilt. This will be for me, and as with many other of my quilts it got put away when I had to work on a quilt for somone else. I started sewing all of the X blocks together and worked on it for the Friday Night Sew-In. I had about half of the quilt laid out before I put it away, so when I get them done I can start figuring out the rest of the layout.

Tic Tac Kiss Part II

I have the blocks sewn together now for my Tic Tac Kiss quilt. The borders now need to be added on. I changed the X to a darker background fabric and I like it much better now. My daughter has been a big help in helping me to choose the colours.

For the X blocks I tried out a technique that I have been working on lately. To do the Stitch and Flip I have been cutting the square before I sew it. I make sure to leave on the quarter inch allowance. The remaining triangle becomes part of my leader and enders. I am finding that my blocks are become more accurate using this method.

 Linking to Let's Bee Social and WIP Wednesday.

Kaleidoscope Binding

I finally took the time this week to get my binding on my Kaleidoscope quilt and now I am hand stitching it. This has been back from the quilter's for a while but I had a few other projects to get finished. For some reason this binding seems to be going so fast, maybe it is because I love this quilt so much.

Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching.

Tic Tac Kiss

For Friday Night Sew-In, I decided to start working on Tic Tac Kiss, a pattern by Canuck Quilter. She now has this pattern as Tic Tac Who?  My sister asked me to make a quilt for a friend who is having a baby girl. I looked through her friend's Baby registry to see what colours she would like. I have had this pattern for a while and I am glad I have a chance to make it. I have decided that my X Block is too light so I am going to be changing it.  A lot of this fabric comes from my daughter's stash. Luckily, we share very well together.

Lotus Finale

My Lotus quilt, pattern by Jaybird Quilts is finished and given to my friend. It was very much appreciated. I like to name my quilts and I called this one Triangulation. This quilt was one I fell in love with more and more as I put it all together. The fabrics are outside of the realm of what I would choose to make for myself which is one of the reasons I enjoy making quilts for others. It helps stretch my creativity and this quilt helped me get through some health issues I was having. Quilting has given me so much.

I also made an envelope pillow cover for the first time using this tutorial. A friend had gotten the embroidered cloth from Panama and wanted me to make it into a pillow cover for her sister. Again, this is something I would have not done for myself but knowing how easy it is now, I will definitely make another one at some point.

Linking to TGIFF and Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop.

Anniversary Stars

I have been fretting for over a year about what to make as a quilt for my parents 50th anniversary which was last year. I had found a quilt pattern that I liked but was not happy with the colours I chose. I put it away and then last June when I was at Quilts Canada I bought surprise fabric bags that had Kona Cotton Mahogany Palette charm packs in them. Red is my mother's favourite colour and I knew I wanted to use the charm packs somehow in the quilt. Then this April I saw this beautiful quilt by Canuck Quilter and I knew it would be perfect to make for my parents. The pattern is one of her own called Jelly Bean Stars and she posted more about the quilt today. I have bought other patterns from her and find them to be very well laid out and easy to follow. I am so happy that I have finally started the anniversary quilt which will hopefully be done by their 52th anniversary.

Linking to Let's Bee Social and WIP Wednesday.

Friday Night Sew In - Every Little Bit Counts

I spent my Friday Night Sew In getting some more of the 150 half square triangles I need sewn. Every little bit counts and I am getting closer to working on the blocks.

Arithmetic

I have the top done for the Arithmetic quilt and now need to add on the borders. I also have a couple of ideas of how I want to do the backing but I have not decided yet. I wish all quilts came together as easily as this one has. I pulled out an old UFO yesterday hoping the same will happen for it.

The first part of the quilt is 150 half square triangles and now I am just over halfway done. There are times where I have felt that half square triangles are my nemesis but lately I have been seeing them in a friendlier light.


Linking to Let's Bee Social and WIP Wednesday.

Quilters : The Next Generation

 Last month, the Quilt Guild that both myself and my daughter belong to had a quilt show and my daughter and son both had quilts in the show. My son's quilt was entered in the Youth Category. His was the only quilt in the Youth Category so he also won Best in Show for it.

 Along with the sewing, he picked out the pattern and chose all of the fabrics. He went with me to quilt stores and picked out green and blue fat quarters that he liked. He also chose which blue and green fabrics would go together to make the blocks. I am so proud of him for his accomplishment. He saw a quilt that he really liked at the quilt show and has decided that he would like to make it. It is a queen size quilt and I have the pattern for it. Myself, my daughter and him spent some time buying some fabrics in the colours that he would like to use to make the quilt at the quilt show.

My daughter made this quilt in a month. In October, there was a fabric sale at our guild of metres of fabric.  She bought the background fabric and over Thanksgiving we had a mini retreat and she got most of the top done. She is the youngest member of the guild. She has been using this quilt as her summer quilt to sleep under and I am so proud to see her use something that she has made. She is already a quarter of the way through her next quilt and I hope that we will get to quilt over the summe together.

Linking to TGIFF and Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop.

Arithmetic Plus

I have seen this quilt given a few different names such as Modern Plus and Arithmetic. I am making it for a friend who taught Math and recently retired. I am using a couple of patterns to put it together.  In Color Order's Modern Plus quilt tutorial,  Modern Plus Sign Quilts, and some great suggestions to put it together faster by Crazy Mom Quilts. I am really enjoying this quilt because I have not been overthinking it. I did not layout out all of the quilt, just started putting a few rows together, then sewing them, and then choosing more colours for the next rows. I am not sure yet how big it will be or what it will look like. This is a quilt I would enjoy making again.

Linking to WIP Wednesday,  and Let's Bee Social.

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day! I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Lotus

I now have all of my blocks sewn for my Lotus quilt and have started sewing them into rows. I have enjoyed how quick it is to sew together. This is my relaxing quilt after spending the weekend putting on the final touches for my quilts going into the quilt show. I handed them in last night and it ws a relief to have them all done. My son and daughter also have quilts in the show.  I cannot wait to see the show next week.

Linking to Let's Bee Social.

Binding Time Part 3

I am working on the binding for the last of the quilts going into the quilt show in June. Once this is done it will be time to label the quilts. I label quilts that I give away, but I don't always label ones I keep. I am happy to have this blog to be able to go back and check when I finished the quilts. My son helped me picked out the thread colour for the binding. I am happy that my family share and support my love of quilting.

Linking to Slow Stitching Sunday.

Friday Night Sew-In - Lotus

I spent my Friday Night Sew-In working on some more triangles for my Lotus quilt. Now I have only three more to do and I will be able to start working on the layout. I know I need to get to finishing my quilts for the quilt show but for now I am enjoying working on this quilt.

Lotus love

I am having lots of love for Lotus. It is a good using up fabric kind of quilt.  I have reached the point now, unfortunately where I don’t need any more fabric.  I used most of the fabric from my stashto make the quilt but I did get a bit of fabric to balance out the quilt. It has been nice after working on some longer projects to work on one that comes together quickly.

I also finally got my Kaleidoscope ready and sent off to the quilter's. I am calling this the little quilt that could. I have had so many issues with this quilt most of my own doing, including sewing the backing together incorrectly which was the last piece I needed to do after having the quilt top sit around for months. I know this is one I will treasure for always.

Linking to Let's Bee Social.

All You Need Is Tea & Warm Socks

All you need is tea and warm socks is one of my mottos. I would include books and chocolate as well. I am always amazed at how a ball of yarn can end up becoming so many different things.

My ball of yarn became a wonderful pair of socks. It has been a long time since I made a pair of socks.

It was like riding a bicycle. Once I started knitting again it came back to me. I have worn them all day and they have are so cozy and warm. Handmade socks are going back on my to do list.

Not My Work In Progress Wednesday

This is not my Work In Progress Wednesday. It's my daughter's. She started another quilt on Sunday and as always I wish I had picked the fabric. Now she will talk about her quilt.

I found the brown floral fabric and I absoulutly fell in love with it because I loved the almost vintage feel to the fabric. I found the floral jean looking fabric soon after and thought it would be the perfect pairing and then I began to build my quilt around them.  Funnily enough my mother made a quilt using the same pattern almost ten years ago.

Me again, I tried to sneak a new quilt past my daughter yesteday. I had a quilt kit that I have had about eight years and I saw a pattern last week that I thought would be wonderful for it. I organized it yesterday and then my daughter caught me and persuaded me to return to what I need to get done which is the bindings for my upcoming quilt show. I will try to sneak the quilt in sometime when she is not looking. 😊

Linking to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.

Friday Night Sew-In - Lotus

I got a couple more blocks done for the Friday Night Sew-In. I am still auditioning fabrics to go into the quilt and I think I will change some of the fabrics. I find it easier for some projects to cut as I go along because it gives me more options for change or to adapt a pattern if things are not going as I hoped.

Lotus

I am working on a new quilt by Jaybird Quilts called Lotus. I have a journal where I keep a record of the quilts that I make. When I added in the start date for this one I  realized that it has been a long time since I have started a new quilt. I cut out the blocks for one earlier this year but have yet to start working on it, because I have been spending my time getting quilts ready for my guild's quilt show. It has been wonderful to get to start on a new quilt. My daughter was my pattern and fabric consultant for this quilt. She is the brains and I am the worker bee.

Binding Time Part 2

The first quilt has been bound and now I am working on the second quilt for the quilt show. It is my Snowbound quilt. I was not expecting to be binding it during an ice storm and snow in April. I really appreciated this quilt more after it was quilted but I am definitely ready to appreciate some Spring quilts!


Linking to Slow Sunday Stitching.

Binding Time

It's binding time! My quilt guild is having a show in June and it is time to get the quilts ready for the show. My daughter made this quilt and it is her entry into the show. She has an amazing eye for colour and whenever I see her quilts I always wish that I have thought of the great colour combinations she chooses. This quilt is for herself. Unlike her mother, she starts a quilt and finishes it. I have a lot to learn!

Linking to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.